Yuma leads nation in jobless rate for May

Yuma has bumped El Centro from its traditional No. 1 spot in the nation and now holds the dubious distinction of having the highest unemployment rate among 372 metropolitan areas in the United States.

In May, Yuma recorded a 28.9 percent jobless rate to lead the nation, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reported this week. A longtime first, El Centro ranked second for the month with a 26.8 jobless rate.

That's a rerun of year ago when El Centro also relinquished its No. 1 ranking to Yuma. It's likely small consolation that for both communities, the rates are a slight improvement over May 2011 when Yuma led the nation with its 29.5 percent jobless rate and El Centro came in a close second at 29 percent.

"That's typical for this time of year," Patrick Goetz, business services officer for Yuma Private Industry Council, the Yuma-area's workforce development agency, said with a sigh.

Both communities are heavily reliant on agriculture for their economies and jobs -- jobs that are seasonal for thousands of workers who toil in the vegetable fields and packinghouses during the area's multimillion-dollar winter produce season.

For Yuma there's also the double whammy of a summer slowdown in jobs with the mass exodus in the spring of the area's winter visitors and residents who have headed to cooler climates.

As further proof that May was a tough month for the unemployed in Yuma, the number of people seeking assistance at YPIC's three One Stop Centers took a big jump, Goetz said. He noted that in May, the centers saw 3,465 people, compared with 2,831 in April.

On a more encouraging note, YPIC had 92 job orders in May from 44 different employers. And there have been 110 job orders in June, Goetz said.

Meanwhile, an estimated 175 construction jobs are expected to open up soon for the construction of a solar generating facility in the Foothills, he said.

In addition, YPIC is getting interest from employers for a job fair it will hold Aug. 29 at the Pivot Point Conference Center. If interested in participating, businesses can reach Goetz at 329-0990, Ext. 177.

"We do have some good things coming," he said. "But right now it's just nice and hot."

Nationwide, unemployment rates were lower in May than a year earlier in 331 of the 372 metropolitan areas, higher in 32 areas and unchanged in nine areas, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reported. In May, 45 metropolitan areas reported jobless rates of at least 10.0 percent, down from 84 areas a year earlier, while 140 areas posted rates below 7.0 percent, up from 96 areas in May of last year.

Bismarck, N.D., registered the lowest unemployment rate, 2.5 percent, followed by Fargo, N.D.-Minn., 3.0 percent. A total of 215 cities recorded May unemployment rates below the U.S. seasonally unadjusted figure of 7.9 percent, 153 areas reported rates above it and four areas had rates equal to that of the nation. An additional 12 areas had decreases of 2.0 percentage points or more.

Among the largest cities with a population of 1 million or more, the highest unemployment rates in May were registered in Las Vegas-Paradise, Nev., and Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario, Calif., with 11.8 percent each. The lowest jobless rate among the larger areas was Oklahoma City, Okla., with 4.5 percent.

Joyce Lobeck can be reached at jlobeck@yumasun.com or 539-6853. Find her on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/YSJoyceLobeck or on Twitter at @YSJoyceLobeck.